Welcome to Let’s Get a Room, a series where editor Eliza Huber heads to the dressing room to try on pieces from your favorite retailers, buzzy items, and new collections. Think of this column as a detailed guide to pieces actually worth buying and the ones that, unfortunately, looked better online—no returns necessary.
I’ll admit, I’m new to the Madewell bandwagon. But after spotting a slew of pieces I couldn’t believe were from the affordable denim brand and not a designer ready-to-wear label, I figured it was time to stop sleeping on Madewell’s offerings and give the retailer a proper test drive. And since a brand-new location just opened on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, and I am an uptown newcomer, I practically had no choice but to stop by and set up shop in the dressing room for a few hours.
To say that my expectations for the selection were exceeded wouldn’t even begin to describe the situation at hand. As a picky fashion editor, I’m rarely impressed by pieces I see online—and being won over by an item in person is a far more difficult feat. And yet, from linen trousers to basic tanks, pretty much everything I brought into my dressing room at Madewell came home with me.
